DE19642901A1 - Document scanning device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device includes a base (105), a cover (110) which is fastened to the base, and an image area which is arranged between the base and the cover. A first and a second light path (130, 140) are provided, whereby the first light path (130) is reflected at the image area, and the second light path (140) runs through the image area. A revolving mirror (175) is pref. positioned in the cover and swings between at least two positions, whereby the second light path is reflected at the revolving mirror and passes through the image area. A first and a second focusing lenses are pref. provided, whereby the first focusing lens (134) is positioned in the first light path, and the second focusing lens (142) is positioned in the second light path. A photo-detector array (155) is pref. positioned within the base, and produces an electric signal in response to the first and a second light paths.

Description

The present invention relates generally to opti cal scanning devices and in particular on a scanning device, wel can scan media with different resolutions.

An optical scanner is used to machine readable generate data relating to a scanned object, such as B. a document or photograph chen. This is typically done using a control achieved light source that is within the base of the Ab is positioned. The light source is from the Surface of a document back on an array of photo sensitive components reflecting the Lichtin Convert intensity into an electronic signal. Other Ab Probe configurations have a light transmission source through a transparent document on the array of photosensitive components. The intensity of the Light source is over a closed or open loop controlled by using a calibration circuit that positioned within the scanner base.

Optical scanning devices and various components used in used within such scanning devices are in the U.S. Patents No. 4,926,041, OPTICAL SCANNER by David W. Boyd, No. 4,937,682, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONTRAST / INTENSITY CONTROL IN A DOCUMENT SCANNER by Dan L. Dalton, No. 5,019,703, OPTICAL SCANNER WITH MIRROR MOUNTED OCCLUDING APERTURE OR FILTER by David w. Boyd and John S. Deutschbein and No. 5,038,028, OPTICAL SCANNER APERTURE AND LIGHT SOURCE ASSEMBLY by David w. Boyd and C. William Elder, Jr.

The object of the present invention is a Document scanner to create a plurality of different media types with multiple resolutions can work.

This task is accomplished by a document scanner Claim 1 and claim 7 solved.

The present invention provides a scanner which Scans media with different resolutions. The Ab touch probe creates more than one light path, each Light path a different lens reduction ratio nis. In a preferred embodiment the scanner has at least two lenses and one photodetector array. The present scanner has at least two scan modes, one for transparencies and another for reflective or opaque objects.

A feed lever moves mechanical components to get it possible that a selected media type can be inserted can. This lever prevents media types from being loaded that are different from the selected type. To In addition, the appropriate feed rate for the media type selected by the feed lever.

In a preferred embodiment, the scan gets a first and a second light path, the first light path reflected from opaque targets and the second light path through transparent targets carries out. The first light path leads through a first focus lens, which is a characteristic first magnification tion. The second light path leads through a second Focusing lens, which is a characteristic second Has magnification. Both light paths are through the processed the same photodetector array. With one preferred th embodiment differ the first and the  second magnification.

Preferred embodiment of the present invention are referred to below with reference to the attached drawing nations explained in more detail. Show it:

Figs. 1a and 1b is a block diagram of an exposed side view of a scanning optical apparatus according to the present the invention;

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a front view of the optical scanning device;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the control block according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the mechanical components to facilitate the scanning of multiple media.

Figures 1a and 1b illustrate one type of optical scanner 100 adapted to produce machine readable data that corresponds to a color image of an object being scanned. The machine readable data generated by the scanner 100 is adapted to be received and used by a digital computer in a conventional manner, the data for example being stored or used in a computer storage device for a color display of the object on a CRT (CRT = Cathode Ray Tube) or to produce a color printout.

FIGS. 1a and 1b show a block diagram of a Seitenan view of the scanning optical apparatus according to the present invention. The scanner 100 has a scanner base 105 and a scanner lid 110 . The lid 110 is fixed to the base 105 via a swivel joint (not shown) such that the cover 110 can be pivoted about the central axis of the swivel joint. This allows easy access to the image area (ie, the area located between the base 105 and the lid 110 ). The lid 110 rotatably attached about a hinge ensures manual access to any target media in the image area. A target medium 115 is disposed between a first transparent platen 120 and a second transparent platen 121 in the image area.

A lamp 125 projects a narrow line of light from a pivotable illumination mirror 175 through the first platen 120 onto the surface of the target 115 . If the target 115 is opaque, as in the case of a document or photograph, the pivotable illumination mirror 175 pivots into a vertical configuration to allow the light (represented by light path 130 ) from the surface of the target 115 is reflected on mirrors 131 and 132 . The pivotable illumination mirror 175 is carried by mirror supports, as will be discussed below in FIG. 4. The light is then reflected from the mirror 132 through openings 135 to a mirror 133 re. These mirrors 131 , 132 , 133 reflect the light through a first focusing lens 134 onto a mirror 150 . The light is then reflected onto a photodetector array 155 . In a preferred embodiment, target 115 moves for detection by photo detector array 155 past fixed lamp 125 via drive roller 172 and idler rollers 170 , 171 .

The photodetector array 155 converts the light intensity into an electrical signal for an internal controller 160 which, among other things, controls the power to the lamp 125 and adjusts it according to the electrical signal from the photodetector. In a preferred embodiment, the photodetector array 155 has charge-coupled devices (CCDs). In another preferred embodiment, the CCDs are capable of processing 2,700 pixels. Internal controller 160 may send image data to a microprocessor-based system that includes a computer or printer via connection 161 . In a preferred embodiment, connection 161 is compatible with the SCI bus protocol (related to RS-232; RS-232 = Related Standard = Connected Standard-232). Other bus protocols, e.g. B. SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) and HPIB (HPIB = Hewlett Packard Interface Bus = Hewlett Packard interface bus) can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. The computer or other device may also send commands to internal controller 160 over connection 161 .

If the target 115 is transparent, as in the case of a 35 mm slide or negative strip, the light (represented by light path 140 ) from the pivotable illumination mirror 175 (which is configured as shown is configured in an angled configuration) ) reflected and passed through the first platen 120 , through the see-through target 115 , through the second platen 121 and onto a mirror 141 . The mirror 141 then reflects the light through a second focusing lens 142 onto the mirror 150 . This light is then reflected onto the photodetector array 155 for processing. In a preferred embodiment, the magnification of the first focusing lens 134 differs from the magnification of the second lens 142 . In a further preferred embodiment, the magnification of the first focusing lens is 0.165X and the magnification of the second focusing lens 142 is 0.7559X.

Under the mirror 150 , a locking device 180 is net angeord. The locking device 180 has a first and a second blocking plate 181 , 182 . Based on a control signal sent from a feed lever controller (see FIG. 2), one of the paths of the focused light is blocked. If the control signal indicates that a transparent target is to be scanned, the blocking device 180 positions the blocking plate 181 in the path of the focused opaque light path 130 '. If the control signal indicates that an opaque target is to be scanned, the blocking device 180 positions the blocking plate 182 in the path of the focused transparency film light path 140 '.

A feature of the present invention are the two light paths 130 , 140 . The resolutions provided by these separate light paths depend on the target being scanned. Typically, there is less information on a photograph than on a slide. In a preferred embodiment, the opaque light path 130 provides a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (dpi; dpi = dots per inch; 1 inch = 2.54 cm), while the transparency film light path 140 provides a resolution of 2400 dpi.

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a front view of the optical scanning device according to the present invention. The scanning device 100 creates a feed lever control 210 which determines which selectable media type can be inserted. A feed lever (not shown) moves mechanical components based on the control signal sent by controller 210 to allow a selected type of media to be loaded into scanner 110 . At the same time, controller 210 prevents other, unselected media types from entering scanner 100. A feature of the present invention is that scanner 100 is mechanically reconfigurable (ie, the light paths, mirrors, photodetector array, and controller) allow and / or deny access to the scanner. As the end user of the scanner 100 selects which media type is to be scanned, the scanner 100 offers the necessary insertion slot for the end user so that this selected media type occurs.

In addition, the controller 210 adjusts the speed at which the selected media type enters, sending a control signal to the locking device (item 118 in Fig. 1b) to block the light path of the media type not selected. The scanner 100 accepts three separate media types through an input port that has three different configurations 220 , 230 , 240 . In a preferred embodiment, scanner 100 takes a print photograph (item 220 ) measuring up to 127 mm x 177.8 mm (5 inches x 7 inches), a 35 mm slide positive (item 230 ) and a 35 mm Negative strip (item 240 ). In a preferred embodiment, the speed at which a printing photograph occurs is faster than with a 35 mm slide or with a 35 mm negative strip. In another preferred embodiment, a print photograph is scanned at 0.076 mm / sec (0.003 inches per second) while a 35 mm slide or a negative strip is scanned at 0.01058 mm / sec (0.00042 inches per second) .

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of the control block. The control block 160 is concentrated around a micro controller 302 . Microcontroller 302 may be, for example, a 68HC05 type microcontroller available from Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL. The microcontroller 302 receives commands from the scanner via the serial communication link 161 . The commands that are sent from the scanning device include switching on the lamp, changing the light intensity and reporting the status.

Microcontroller 302 drives digital-to-analog converter (DAW) 304 and lamp driver 306 . One output of the DAW 304 is connected to the lamp driver 306 , while a second DAW output is connected to a comparator 312 . Comparator 312 also receives input from a photodiode which measures the light intensity of lamp 308 and converts it to an analog signal. This signal is then fed back to comparator 312 to maintain the light intensity of lamp 308 at a constant level.

Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of the mechanical arrangement to facilitate the scanning of multiple media. The mechanical arrangement is positioned in the scanner base 105 and has a negative attachment 440 , a carriage 420 and a component 410 . The component 410 has a front side 411 , a slide base 412 , a pressure bar 413 and a cam 414 . The negative attachment 440 has a raised opening 441 , at least two supports 442 and an upper section 443 . The carriage 420 has an opening 421 , a first and a second negative guide plate 422 and 423 , a plurality of roller openings 424 , negative guide sides 426 , a plurality of guides 427 and at least two mirror support supports 431 . The majority of guides 427 carry the target medium positioned in the scanner. The at least two mirror support brackets 431 support the pivotable illumination mirror (object 175 in FIG. 1a), the mirror pivoting as the mechanical arrangement moves upwards or downwards with respect to the control signal from the controller 210 . In a preferred embodiment, negative attachment 440 , carriage 420, and component 440 are all made of plastic, although other materials could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Depending on which media type has been selected (via controller 210 ), the mechanical arrangement moves to allow the selected media type to enter the scanner and at the same time to prevent unselected media types from entering. In a preferred embodiment, there are three media types: a print photograph, a 35 mm slide, and a 35 mm negative strip.

If the print photography media type has been selected, component 410 is driven downward by cam 414 with respect to carriage 420 such that print photography can be fed along print bar 413 . The drive roller (item 172 in FIG. 1b) positioned in the plurality of roller openings 424 continues to move the print photography through the scanner 100 . After the print photograph is scanned, the drive roller reverses the direction of rotation to send the print photograph back from the scanner 100 . In a preferred embodiment, the drive roller is a single roller having a plurality of large diameter portions that speaks to the plurality of roller openings 424 connected by a plurality of small diameter portions. In addition, the drive roller has two inner sections that are positioned on the inner side of the negative guide sides 426 . In a preferred embodiment, the two inner sections have the same diameter as the large diameter sections, each section having a width that is sufficiently thin to ensure that the light path 140 (see FIG. 1a) is not obstructed when the same is passed through the transparent media, through the opening 421 and onto the internal devices of the scanner. In a further preferred embodiment, the drive roller has a plurality of separate rollers which are connected to one another via a roller axis.

If the 35 mm slide media type is selected, component 410 is driven upward by cam 414 with respect to carriage 420 to allow the 35 mm slide to be positively positioned on slide base 412 before the inner portions of FIGS Drive the roller into and out of the scanner. If the 35 mm negative strip media type has been selected, the component 410 is driven further up by the cam 414 with respect to the carriage 420 and the negative attachment 440 . The he ste and the second negative guide plate 422 , 423 in conjunction with the negative guide sides 426 ensure that ei ne suitable alignment of the negative strip over the opening 421 opening is achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the negative guide plates 422 , 423 are at least 35 mm apart.

A feature of the present invention is that the same mechanical arrangement is used to move different types of media across the scan aperture. As a result, the roller, carriage 420, and component 410 are designed to print up to 127mm x 177.8mm (5 x 7 inches) in size, 35mm transparencies, and 35mm Transport negative strips.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described in connection with the preferred embodiment, the same is not limited to the particular structure shown. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, a movable lens can be provided instead of the first and second focusing lenses (objects 134 and 142 in FIG. 1a). With this configuration, the movable lens can be moved from a first position in the light path 130 to an Nth position in the light path 140 using an actuator. The N positions on the path of the movable lens can be used to create a "focal length adjustment" for unlimitedly variable resolutions.

Claims (12)

1. Document scanner ( 100 ) with the following features:
a scanner base ( 105 );
a scanner cover ( 110 ) attached to the scanner base ( 105 ),
an image area disposed between the scanner base ( 105 ) and the scanner lid ( 110 ); and
a first and a second light path ( 130 , 140 ), where the first light path ( 130 ) reflects on the image area, and the second light path ( 140 ) runs through the image area. The document scanner ( 100 ) according to claim 1, further comprising a pivotable mirror ( 175 ) positioned in the scanner cover ( 110 ), the pivotable mirror ( 175 ) pivoting between at least two positions, and the second light path ( 140 ) is reflected on the pivotable mirror through the image area. The document scanner ( 100 ) of claim 1 or 2, further comprising first and second focusing lenses ( 134 , 142 ), the first focusing lens ( 134 ) in the first light path ( 130 ), and the second Focusing lens ( 142 ) is positioned in the second light path ( 140 ). 4. The document scanner ( 100 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:
a photodetector array ( 155 ), the array ( 155 ) being within the scanner base ( 105 ) and generating an electrical signal from the first and second light paths ( 130 , 140 ); and
control means ( 160 ) for controlling a light source ( 308 ), the control means ( 160 ) being within the scanner base ( 105 ) and being electrically connected to the photodetector array ( 155 ) and the light source ( 308 ), and wherein the light source ( 308 ) generates the first and the second light path ( 130 , 140 ). 5. Document scanner ( 100 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control device ( 160 ) has the following features:
a microcontroller ( 302 ) electrically connected to a microprocessor;
a digital-to-analog converter ( 304 ) connected to the micro controller ( 302 ); and
a lamp driver ( 306 ) connected to the microcontroller ( 302 ) and the digital-to-analog converter ( 304 ) to provide the light source ( 308 ) with a desired intensity, the light source ( 308 ) generating an actual intensity . 6. The document scanner ( 100 ) according to claim 5, wherein the control device ( 160 ) further comprises a comparator ( 317 ) connected to the digital / analog converter ( 304 ) and the microcontroller ( 302 ) for comparison the desired light intensity with the actual light intensity. 7. Document scanner ( 100 ) for scanning media ( 220 , 230 , 240 ) with different resolutions, in which the scanner has the following features:
a scanner base ( 105 );
a scanner lid ( 110 ) attached to the scanner base ( 105 );
an image area disposed between the scanner base ( 105 ) and the scanner lid ( 110 );
a light source ( 308 ) located within the scanner lid ( 110 );
a pivotable mirror ( 175 ) positioned within the scanner lid ( 110 ), the pivotable mirror ( 175 ) pivoting between two positions, and the light source ( 308 ) creating first and second light paths ( 130 , 140 ), the first light path ( 130 ) is generated by reflecting on the image area, and the second light path ( 140 ) is generated by reflecting on the pivotable mirror ( 175 ) through the image area; and
a first and a second focusing lens ( 134 , 142 ) positioned within the scanner base ( 105 ), the first focusing lens ( 134 ) having a first magnification and the second focusing lens ( 142 ) providing a second magnification, and wherein the first focusing lens ( 134 ) is positioned in the first light path ( 130 ) and the second focusing lens ( 142 ) is positioned within the second light path ( 140 ). The document scanner ( 100 ) of claim 7, further comprising media type selection means ( 210 ) for selecting a media type to be placed in the image area. The document scanner ( 100 ) of claim 8, wherein the media type selector ( 210 ) can choose between a print photograph ( 220 ), a 35mm slide ( 230 ) and a 35mm negative strip ( 240 ). The document scanner ( 100 ) of claim 9, wherein the first light path ( 130 ) illuminates the print photography ( 220 ). 11. The document scanner ( 100 ) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the second light path ( 140 ) illuminates the 35 mm slide ( 230 ) and the 35 mm negative strip ( 240 ). 12, document scanning apparatus (100) according to any one of claims of 9 to 11, wherein the document scanning device further includes a barrier (180) wherein the locking device (180) comprises a first and a second blocking plate (181, 182), wherein the second plate ( 182 ) blocks the second light path ( 140 ) when a media type selector ( 210 ) selects the print photograph ( 220 ), and the first plate ( 181 ) blocks the first light path ( 130 ) when the media type -Selection device ( 210 ) selects either the 35 mm slide ( 230 ) or the 35 mm negative strip ( 240 ).